The Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center

The Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center cares for children ranging in age from six weeks through pre-kindergarten. The Center provides a warm and supportive environment in which each child can develop and grow. The program is based on the belief that while human development progresses in a predictable sequence, each individual is developmentally unique. Activities enhance and challenge all areas of development -- physical, social, emotional, and intellectual -- at each stage of development. The curriculum and teaching are adapted to each child's individual abilities and interests, and activities are introduced when children are best suited to master them. Parents are welcome at the Center throughout the day to feed or visit with their children.

The Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center’s approach is founded in research-based understanding of how children grow and develop. We are committed to learning each child's individual interests, strengths, and areas of growth in their physical, social, emotional and cognitive development so that we can meet them where they are and support their further progress. We bring together these understandings (general child development and individual development) to provide a quality early childhood experience that ensures that everyone reaches their potential.

Added to this is our family engagement, which ensures that we are including our widely diverse community in our children’s learning experiences. We recognize that the entire family comes to the childcare center and families are partners in our commitment to our children. This partnership includes ensuring that the children be exposed to the vast array of cultural and social contexts that people experience. By learning about our families, and including them in these conversations, we not only acknowledge and validate each child’s experiences but also ensure children are able to learn to not just accept but also be curious about the different ways of living and of being a person that exist on this planet.

Along with all of this, and while we ensure they are learning those “hard” skills that are expected when they leave here (those ABCs and 123s) children are also learning what it is to be part of a community. Teachers support children to develop those “life skills” such as negotiation, cooperation, calm self-expression, and patience.

Our goal is to cultivate children who are active learners, willing to explore, take risks and meet the challenges of their future. To this end, Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center provides experiences that enable children build a belief and trust in themselves and their caregivers and move into the world secure in their ability to master their environment.

The infant and toddler rooms have a teacher-child ratio of at least 1 to 3.

The pre-school teacher-child ratios are 1 to 4 for under three years old and 1 to 5 for three to five year olds.

The Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center is affiliated with the Yale School of Medicine and offers an enrollment priority to members of the Medical School Community. University and Community families are welcomed to apply with the understanding priority will be given to parents with Medical School Affiliation. First priority is given to parents who are faculty, students or postdoctoral fellows at the School of Medicine. Parents who are officers at Yale New Haven Hospital or the Veterans Administration Hospital, or who are faculty, students, or staff in other departments at Yale University, are given second priority. Remaining space is available for families living in the New Haven community.

This priority scale is also used in administrating the Scholarship Fund. The Phyllis Bodel Childcare Center admits students of any race, color and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school; it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions, and scholarship funds.

The Center is open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm all year except for holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year's.